Situated
along the Red River delta, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, the country’s
second biggest city, a major trading centre, and also one of the fastest
growing cities in the world.

The
dedicated cargo service will operate every Thursday and Sunday using an Airbus
A330-200F freighter, with a capacity of 60 metric tonnes.

Flights
en route to Hanoi will stop briefly in Mumbai, while the return service is
direct to Abu Dhabi.

Etihad
Cargo expects the new service to carry raw materials, consumer goods and
perishables to Hanoi, with large quantities of electronics and textiles destined
for the Gulf region, Europe and Africa loaded for the return flight.

Kevin
Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “Vietnam is
an important market for Etihad Cargo and our new twice weekly Hanoi freighter
service will build on our existing daily bellyhold operations to Ho Chi Minh
City further south.

“The
service will allow us to capitalise on the strong import and export demand to
and from Vietnam and the rest of Southeast Asia, while providing our growing
customer base with more choice for transporting goods around the world.

“In
addition, while we expect to see strong onward trade flows over our Abu Dhabi
cargo hub to destinations across the Middle East and Europe, ultimately this
service will further strengthen the trade ties between the UAE and Vietnam.”

Etihad Cargo offers
services to 108 destinations internationally, operating a fleet of ten
freighters, consisting of four Airbus A330-200F, three Boeing B777F, and three
Boeing 747F.